Butler Flats Lighthouse

Year Built

1898

Cost

$33,800

Type

Conical on cylindrical base

Height

53 feet

Location

New Bedford Channel, Acushnet River, New Bedford

Automated Year

1978

First Lit

1898

Lens Type

Fifth order Fresnel lens

Fog Signal

None

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

White tower with black base and lantern

Last Keeper - Date

Richard E. Lehl (1962 – at least 1964)

Description

An open deck circles the structure at the top of the brick section, where it transitions to the smaller iron lantern house, and a narrow third deck encircles the lantern chamber.

Brief History

•  The work was finished in time for the lighthouse to be placed in operation on April 30, 1898.
•  The tower was initially red, the color of its bricks, but in 1899, it received a white coat of paint and a 1,000-pound bell with a Stevens striking machine.
•  Joseph Hindley started as an assistant at Butler Flats in 1931 and then moved up to head keeper when Baker retired.
•  On April 7, 1962, 27 year-old Arthur E. Pledger and Elizabeth Contracier were attempting to climb the ladder to the lighthouse after returning in the station’s skiff when rough seas swept them away.
•  On May 15, 2012, Butler Flats Lighthouse was made available under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.